Serving table



June 19, 1934. 5 J SCHWABE 1,963,594

SERVING TABLE Filed May 10, 1955 F" :4 G L "L ':E: n v

INVENTOR Edwin J Sckwabe ATTORNEY Patented June 19, 1934 j recast; g3" SERVING TABLE 4 Claims. (cite-911i This invention relates to a serving table,

an objectof theinvention is to provide an article of furniture of this character which maybe collapsed for; storage or otherwise whenever req i d-H.

;,A: fu ther object is to so construct the device thatitmay include one or more separately formed trays detachable for individual use'separatefrom their carrying-frame. A furtherobject is to so construct the carrying frame that it may be; readily collapsed when the trays have beenremoved; a I A further object is to so construct the device that when one or more of the trays is assembled with the carrying frame it will be held against displacement and will at the same .time serve'to holdtheframein a suitably distended condition appropriate forthe proper support of the tray andintable forming relation. 1 a

-A- further .objectis to so design the device that they-tray or trays whcn detached mayg be nested together with the collapsed carrying frame so;

that ,the whole will occupy, a minimum of space for;storage.

A further object is to so construct thevdevice thatfl-it may if; desired-be fitted with suitablewheels constituting it as a serving wagon.

;; A further; .Object is to so construct the 7 device.

that it will be strong and substantial and of attractive appearance, andso that it may be man 'ufactured at small cost. 7

Otherobjects and aims ofthe' inventionymore or-less specific than those referred to above, will be in part obvious andin part pointed out in the :course of the following; description oftheelements, combinations,arrangements of I parts and applications of principles constituting the in.-

vention;v and the scope of protection contemplated will be indicated in the appended claimsg "In theqaccompanying drawing whichis to be taken as a part of this specification, and in which Ihave shown=merelya preferred formof embodi-' merit 'of the'invention:---

Fig.-. 1 is-a side elevational view of an article of" furnitureiconstructed in accordance with this-in- I the carrying frame in its collapsed condition and the'trays beingshown as nested within the collapsed carrying frame, and I Fig. '5 is an enlarged fragmentary detail a view use-the tray-will be heldagainst displacement andillustrating a slight modification.

Referring .to the drawing for detail the exemplary structure as illustrated therein, the reference character L indicates gen- 7 the; pivots 3 and the describing in erally. the, carrying. frame while the reference" 2'Iconsi'sts [of apairof legs as 4-4'and upper' andlower cross =members5 and 6 by which the two ?-legs ot the respective framelmembers are connected together ingeneral rectangular form as' clearly indicated in the drawing. The two top crossmembers 5-5 are connected, by one of pivot memberl3, so'thatthetwo frame members,

are capable of swinging with respect'to each other on said pivots 33 from a distended or tray suprying frame is collapsed, then the'two trays may belaidffiatagainst each other and nested in the space proyided between the legs and cross members,'of,the collapsed 'supporting.frame, as clearly v illustrated inlthis" figure, therebygreatly economizinginthe amount of space required for the, storing'lof all of .the parts constituting this article of furniture, it beingnoted inthis connection further that. eitherv one .or both of ,the trays may be withdrawn-from their neste'dipositions within the collapsed carrying frame. foruse at any time,'and' as readily. returnedlagain, without disturbing the collapsed condition of the supporting frame.

.When .the carrying framev is infits' distended condition theltwo .uppe'ricross members 5-5 conjstituteafour-point supportforthetop tray and the two bottom cross members 6- 6 constitute a similar. four-point Y support for they 'bottom tray. Suitable jfillers .as .7-7. are provided at theends. of one of the cross members 5 in order to cons'ti: j tutetwo of the points of support for the. upper tray in a common horizontal plane with the corresponding upper. surface portions 88 of. the other'cross member 5.

asimilar fillers as 9 .9 are provided at the ends of one of thecross members 6 in order. to-constitute two-of the points of supportfor the lower responding surface portions 10-10 of the other cross member 6. 1 t

,As above referred to, it is a feature of this in vention that when the carrying frame is distend ed and a-trayis-supported thereon in a positionof will at the .same time hold the carryinjg. frame. against collapse. To this end the drawing herewith shows the trays to be provided with handle bottom cross members 6- 6 are. si milarly connected together bythe other:

'As 'illilstrated each of the frame members land tra in a common-horizontal plane with the cormembers 11l1 extending along their opposite end wall parts 1212 but terminating at their opposite ends short of the ends of said wall parts 12-12 so as to define in efiect four notches or seats as 13-13 one at each end of each handle and between the end surfaces 14 of the handles and the adjacent angularly disposed surfaces 15 of the end wall parts 12, said notches or seats being adapted to receive and fit around the respective adjacent legs 4 of the carrying frame.

The surfaces 14 and 15 bear such relation to the pivot 3 as to oppose any swinging movement of either of the legs about said pivot 3 as will be readily apparent from an inspection of the-drawing Fig. 2. 1

In Fig. 5 a slight modification is shown in which the notches or seats 13 are provided in a separately formed member as 16, preferably of sheet metal or the like, screwed or otherwise fastened onto the tray one at each'corner of the tray.

A tray, either as in Fig. 2 or as in Fig. 5, may be readily placed in position upon the supports 7-8 or 910,'and when so placed the notches or seats 13 at its four corners will stand always, and of necessity, in such relation to the four legs of the carrying frame that the frame will be positively retained against either collapse'or further distention so long as thetray remains in position, and the tray will at the same time of course also be held against accidental displacement by engagement of its wall parts 14-15 with the frame legs.

If it is desired to utilize this article of furniture as a serving wagon, any type of wheels, as for.

ciation with attached pieces such for instance as the piece 16 Fig. 5, as to provide wall surfaces which when the tray is in position between the legs 4 will stand in opposition to any appreciable swinging movement of the legs. about the pivot 3.

As many changes could be made in this construction without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description, or shown in the accompanying drawing, shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1,. A serving table including a tray and a separately formed carrying frame therefor, the carrying frame consisting of two frame members crossing each other and pivotally connected together so thatthey may be readily collapsed or distended at will about a vertical axis substantially at the vertical center line of the table, each of said frame members having two supporting legs and means to receive the tray in supported relation thereon, and the tray being of a character to rest in supported relation upon said tray supporting means and having parts adjacent to each leg which when the frame members are distended and the tray is supported upon said tray supporting means engage relatively opposite parts of said adjacent legs to hold said frame members against both collapse and further distension.

2. A serving table including a tray and a separately formed carrying frame therefor, the carrying frame consisting of two frame members pivotally connected together so that they may be readily collapsed or distended at will, each of said frame members having two supporting legs and means to receive the tray in supported relation thereon, and the tray being of a character to rest in supported relation upon said tray supporting means and having four seats provided thereon one adjacent each of its four corners adapted respectively to receive the four legs of the carrying frame and providing opposite wall parts arranged to engage relatively opposite partsof said legs to hold the frame members against both collapse and further distention.

3. A serving table including a carrying frame and a tray formed separate from the carrying frame and usable independently thereof, the carrying frame consisting of two frame members each of general rectangular form including two legs spaced apart and two cross members also spaced apart and extending between and connecting the legstogether, pivot means extending between the cross members of one frame and those of the other whereby the two frame members are pivotally connected together to swing between collapsed and distended positions, 'a cross member of one fram'e member being co-operative with a cross member of the other frame member when in distended position to constitute meansto receive the tray in supported relation thereon, and the tray being of a character'to rest removably in supported relation upon said tray supporting means and having end edge surfaces to engage the legs of the frame members to hold the frame members against further distention and having projecting handle parts to engage the legs and hold collapse. r

4. A serving table including a carrying frame and a tray formed separate from the carrying frame and usable independently thereof, the carrying frame consisting of two frame memberseach of general rectangular form including two legs spaced apart and two cross members also spaced apart and extending between and connecting the legs together, pivot means extending between the cross members of one frame and those of the other whereby the two frame members are pivotally connected together to swing between collapsed and distended positions, a cross member of one frame member being cooperative with a cross member of the other frame member when in distended position to constitute means to receive the tray in supported relation thereon/the tray being of a character to rest removably in supported relation upon said tray supporting means and being of rectangular form providing opposite end edge surfaces one standing to engage one leg of each frame member in the path of distention movement of said legs and the other standing'to engage the remaining leg of each frame member in the path of distention movement of said legs whereby to hold the frame members against further distention, and means provided at said opposite edge surfaces standing the frame members against 

